ABSTRACT

Scientists with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service in Stoneville, Mississippi began working with Cumbaa Farms in the late 1990s to test, verify and further develop farm level precision agriculture technologies. The past two years (2001 and 2002), all farming operations on a 33-acre test field have incorporated precision farming technologies. This 33-acre field is adjacent to the Delta Research and Extension Center. The field consists of mixed soil types and has been land formed to a .15 feet per 100 feet slope.

The 2001 and 2002 cropping practices and data are based on Veris soil recommendations. Veris analysis is a soil electronic conductivity measure that allows multiple probing and sampling per acre at costs significantly lower than traditional soil probing and lab sampling. The analysis is based on electronic conductivity of the soil, which reveals the clay content of the soil. The Veris analysis revealed three distinct zones within the field (Figure 1). The three zones were used to develop precision/variable rate production practices/prescriptions for these two growing seasons.

Aerial photography (airplane) was used to assess the ability of in-season variable rate applications of insecticides, herbicides, plant growth regulators and defoliants. Variable rate defoliation capability was available, however during the 2001 and 2002 growing seasons all zones were managed the same.

This report attempts to establish the total costs associated with a complete precision farming operation based on this 33-acre example. Where possible, any benefits derived from the precision farming practices were also captured by estimating yield differences and associated revenue gains.